Bangladesh, June 27 -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is once again under intense scrutiny-this time facing the prospect of a no-confidence vote brought by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who accuse her of undermining transparency and democratic norms. The controversy centers around her involvement in negotiating a multi-billion-dollar COVID-19 vaccine deal with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, a deal that critics say was conducted in secrecy and possibly in breach of institutional transparency rules.

The growing calls for accountability reached a boiling point after the European Unions Court of Justice ruled in May that the Commission had acted improperly by denying a request to release text messages exchanged ...